Chapter 11: Let’s Get Physical

Fitness for Boomers’ Club, Tuscaloosa, AL
Mid-Afternoon, Thursday, January 9, 2003

With my workout gear in my old, nearly worn out Canadian Jr. Olympic duffle bag, I opened the door to Kaleigh’s club right at 3pm. A solidly built young man, I assumed was Jason by his voice, said, “Welcome to Fitness for Boomers, can I help you, Sir?”

“Yes, you’re Jason correct? I’m Dr. Nevins or perhaps, ‘Iron’ around here. Is the blonde whirlwind around?”

“Huh, oh, yes and yes. I’m indeed Jason, Jason Westin. I’m pleased to finally meet you, Dr. Nevins. Kaleigh is almost finished up her meeting with Mrs. Franchione and Torbush. She told me to show you the men’s dressing room, and to give you a locker key when you got here. You can go change, put your personal effects in locker numbeeeer, let’s see, number nineteen. Bring the key back here, if you don’t have a secure pocket for it.”

“Thanks, Jason and you can call me Mike or even Iron, as I’m sure that is what Kaleigh has said or will say in reference to me. Lead on my good man.”

“Sure thing, Mike, this way,” Jason said as he moved out around the welcome desk.

As I came out of the equally impressive men’s dressing room, I saw Kaleigh talking with Janet and Kim beside the welcome desk. Kaleigh saw me come into the weight room area and smiled at me, but continued on with the coaches’ wives. Janet must have seen the change in Kaleigh’s expression, because she turned towards me as I walked towards the refreshment bar.

“Oh, hi, Dr. Nevins. Long time, no see.” She said with a ting of sarcasm, and a smile. “What brings you, an obvious non-baby boomer, over here to this wonderful fitness center?” She was laying it on thick and enjoying herself immensely. Kaleigh’s face was a mixture of concern and amusement, if that is a possible combination at Ms. Torbush’s comments. I could tell she was hoping I could handle this sticky-wicket without embarrassing her in front of her employees, probably besides Jason.

It was a good thing this wasn’t my first rodeo, and I simply said, “I heard my favorite wives of Alabama’s football coaches were members, and I was hoping to scope them out.” I moved my hands in the typical ‘hour-glass’ pattern signifying a lady’s fine body shape. “Obviously, I’m too late as you two lovely ladies have finished your workouts, and thus, my ‘scoping’ opportunities.” I paused for a brief moment and then chuckled, “Dang, foiled again.”

Both Janet and Kim were busting a gut at my reply, while Kaleigh wasn’t quite sure what to make of my comments. When I caught her eye, I gave her a wink, and continued on, “Oh, Hi, Ms. Kim. How are you doing today? How is recruiting going over at the complex?”

While still recovering from her bout of laughter, Kim replied, “Hello, Mike, I’m good, tired after this young lady here tried to kill me, but I’m doing well. As usual, Dennis is Dennis, and I’m sure Janet can attest, recruiting never ends for college coaches. However, it seems like we’re getting a pretty solid group of high schoolers coming to play at Bama.” When Kim Franchione got to talking football, I was pretty sure the question of why I was at Kaleigh’s club would fall by the wayside.

I was correct in my assumption as Jason jumped in to ask the ladies about which players the Tide were hard after on the recruiting trail. At that point, I smiled at Kaleigh and I could see a little relief in her face. After about five minutes of football talk between Jason, Kim, Janet and I, the ladies had to beg off further discussions as they both had other duties to attend to. We all said our good-byes, and I told Janet I would see her at our 1pm faculty meeting tomorrow afternoon. Like I often do at the thought of faculty meetings, Janet groaned a little but agreed we’d talk beforehand.

When the coaches’ wives exited the club, Jason went back to inputting some data into the computer at the welcome desk. Kaleigh’s attitude immediately perked up without the pressure of dealing with her most well-known, influential and helpful clients. With only about eight other clients and two trainers in the workout area, Kaleigh saddled up to me and kissed me on the cheek. She then said, “That was incredible how you got out of that little pickle there with Janet’s question. I wasn’t sure how you were going to handle it, but I loved you easily switched the conversation to football. That was a real winner, Iron.”

We walked away from the welcome desk. Kaleigh sweetly added, “I hope you know I really don’t mind them knowing that we’re dating. I just don’t want anyone, them or any member of the club to think I’m not a good enough business person to run this place, and that I need a ‘sugar-daddy’ professor to come by to check-up on me. Do you understand my meaning there?”

I smiled and nodded at her, but I chuckled out loud at her ‘sugar-daddy’ reference. “Isn’t the old-guy in the sugar-daddy relationship required to be loaded? If so, you did a pretty crappy job of selecting one when you snagged me, sweetheart!” It was interesting to see Jason’s astonished face when he picked up on the sugar-daddy comments.

Kaleigh just laughed and punched me in the shoulder. She then turned to Jason and playfully said, “Don’t you have work to do? I know I’m paying you good money to do a little something around here.” Then in a slightly lower volume, she finished up with, “Jason, you know it’s not like that, don’t you?”

“Girl, who are you asking that to?” Jason said with a ‘dah’ tone of voice. Then with an even tone, he continued, “You know me, and I know you. I know you’d never sell your soul for a dime.” After clarifying what didn’t even need to be clarified, Jason gave Kaleigh a small peck on the cheek, and went back to the computer to continue his work.

“I’m sorry Jason, you’re right, I should, and do know better than to question your thoughts about me, and us.”

“I sure hate to break up a love fest there, but a future client ... possibly, would like to check out the facilities of this meager little club,” I injected to dissipate the unneeded tension. It worked quickly, when Kaleigh turned to me with surprising steam coming out her ears.

“Meager little club! You called my pride and joy, ‘meager’ - ‘little’. Come with me, oh ye ignorant fool. I’ll show you this meager little club, alright.” Kaleigh came up to me, looked me in the eye, with the devil in hers, and put her hands behind my head to pull me down, then kissed me hard on the lips.

Our little display must not have been so little. Kaleigh’s clients working out on the machines, and the two trainers all started to clap and holler when they saw Kaleigh plant a big one on my lips. We separated and turned to see the commotion, and then I put my hands on behind her head to start an even better kiss on the little blonde owner of this great fitness club.

When we stopped our kiss, Kaleigh said to everyone present, “Guess there’s no hiding how I feel about this guy here, huh. F-Y-I, his name is Dr. Mike Nevins, my former, I repeat, my former professor at Alabama.” Then she ended her little announcement with this quip, “And ladies, isn’t he one hot hunk of man!” After a few laughs and head nods from her clients, Kaleigh added, “He’s mine, so hands off, please.”

The six real ‘Boomer’ ladies had a good laugh at that last request. One good looking fifty-ish lady replied, “Dang, I should head back to school with men like him as professors.”

With the laughs over, Kaleigh said softly, “Come on, Iron, let’s go get physical. I’m going for a swim in our swim-fit tank. I know you don’t like swimming, but you can ride one of our ‘Tour de France’ cycle trainers, while I swim. Let me move it beside the swim-fit, and I’ll go change into my suit.”

“Sounds like a plan. Point out the exercise bike and I’ll move it beside your swim tank.”

“Sorry, no can do,” Kaleigh replied with a smile. She then added, “It has to be an employee, who moves and sets up the equipment. Insurance rules, especially with it being an electric powered bike in the swimming area. I had to guarantee that procedure would be followed, or they wouldn’t let us move anything out there by the two swim-fit tanks.”

“No probs, Baby. Can I at least do the heavy lifting in the move?” I said with a smile.

“Sure, my man.”

After we moved the high-tech exercise bike between the two swim-fit pools, Kaleigh ducked into the ladies’ dressing room to put her swim suit on. As I was waiting, the memories of being with her in that dressing room came back to me. I figured I better get on the bike and start my workout or some other part of my body may take away too much blood from my muscles for its own ‘desires.’ That wouldn’t have been good with the other members able to see me through clear glass divider between the workout area and the swimming area.

“Couldn’t wait for me to come out, before you started your workout, I see,” Kaleigh chimed out as she came up behind me and placed her hands on my hips as I rode slowly on the ‘Tour’ bike. When she walked beside me, I almost fell off the bike. Kaleigh was wearing a neon green two piece suit, that while designed to be a workout suit, showed off her curves quite well.